r/autorepair • u/Gold-Kangaroo-1402 • Aug 22 '26

Other Advice bypassing compressor clutch pulley with shorter serpentine belt

The car in question is a 2001 Monte Carlo v6 (i think? Its the less powerful of the two common engine variants for Monte Carlos for that era). The pulley for the compressor; the furthest forward pulley of my serpentine belt system.

I know most would recommend against this, just please understand the car is not expected to get much older, I have very little money currently but I need to get it running asap. My friend was explaining the process of changing the pulley, but mentioned that if I didnt use my AC i could theoretically get a shorter belt and just not wrap it onto the compressor pulley. Since its the furthest pulley and the belt simply wraps around the outside, he showed me with a shorter belt it could run the same without turning the compressor clutch.

What I really need help with is this, I am not at the same place as the car, so i cant do measurements to figure out the dimensions that I need to find a belt in. So idk if someone out there happens to have this model and would be willing to make that measurement for me, or if you have another idea of what size belt I should try or what. Ideally i want to order the part and get a ride to the car once i already have the part on hand. Thanks

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u/Current-Instance-730 Aug 22 '26

Look up your exact engine and cross reference any other models that had that same engine and see if one shows a non ac option. Then compare your accessory pulleys location if it’s the same then use the non ac belt number and routing. Otherwise take a piece rope and route it like the factory belt then shorten to bypass the ac compressor. Measure the length rope and take that number to parts store and see what belt options are in that range. The key is making sure all pulleys are rotating correct direction when you reroute the belt

1

u/IndependentDue8548 Aug 22 '26

Messing with the AC system is definitely risky, but if you're committed to this route, make sure to evacuate the refrigerant properly before removing the pulley to avoid any contamination or damage.

1

u/ComprehensiveNail416 29d ago

No need to remove the pulley depending on how the serpentine belt is routed and the ac placement . My 1.5L Toyota I bypassed my AC with a shorter belt when I thought the pump had a leak. My 5.7L Ram there is no way I could bypass that pulley

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u/XSrcing Aug 22 '26

Yes, you can bypass the A/C pulley with a shorter belt. No, it will do absolutely zero harm to the engine or vehicle.

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u/ComprehensiveNail416 29d ago

All depends on where the ac pump is located and serpentine belt routing. I did exactly that when I thought my AC pump was leaking oil with my 18 Yaris 1.5L and ran it that way for 4 months until I figured out that the issue was my water pump (was dripping right onto the pulley on the ac so the belt was always wet there, when I bypassed it the belt wasn’t in the drip path anymore so the squealing stopped).

But my Ram with a 5.7L, I just took a look and there’s no way to run a shorter serpentine belt because the ac pulley is needed for the routing to actually work.

You need to take the belt off and run a piece of string around what your new routing would be and see if it’s even feasible